Fostering Winston

Winston has found his forever family. We will miss him so much, but we’re so glad he’s found people who love him just as much as we do!

Winston now has an Instagram.

Day 31: 5/27/23

Winston is smart. He quickly learned the sound of the Ring doorbell motion detection on our phone, and he runs to the door each time he hears it go off.

Doggie daycare has really been great for him. He’s been calmer at home and we’ve watched him learn manners with other dogs (via us spying on him on the webcams).

He will definitely benefit from some obedience lessons — we’ve been trying but aren’t professionals.

He’s also very curious, so you’ll end up with a cleaner house because of him as you keep counters clean, doors to rooms closed, and socks off the floor. (Typical for a young dog, for sure.)

He loves hopping on the couch in the mornings and evenings and loves to curl up next to you. And during the day, he’ll lie at your feet.

Aiming for 10,000 steps a day? Winston will be your own personal trainer. He loves a good walk, and we take him for several 20-minute walks during the day. (If only he could get me to eat my vegetables.)

Day 30: 5/26/23

Winston has discovered couches! He loves curling up on them, especially first thing in the morning and late at night. He loves being close to you — he’s not exactly a snuggler but is still very affectionate.

Hard to believe it’s been a month with Winston! He is rocking it in daycare and really needs/loves to be around other dogs. He’s gotten great report cards every day and plays nonstop — and then comes home and is zonked out. He will definitely benefit from being in an active household with walks and dogs.

He loves going for car rides and exploring the house. He is not afraid to jump to get over barriers if he thinks something is interesting on the other side, but he’s also quick to return if you call him or shake the treat jar.

He is really turning into a great family dog with a ton of personality. Don’t miss out on your chance to meet him and add him to your family.

Day 23: 5/19/23

How can anyone resist that face? Sweet boy.

Winston had a meet-and-greet at Dogtopia yesterday and passed with flying colors. Look at his cute first day of daycare picture below!

He played all day long and it was really good for him. He started to learn his place among the groups of dogs and is working on his manners, too. He’ll be going back regularly to continue socialization and getting the energy out. He’s such a happy dog and loves to be right by your side. Walks are a must, and he’ll sleep like a baby after them.

A big, dorky, lunk of a baby.

Winston at a Glance

We decided to foster Winston because he was on the euthanasia list at Harris County Shelter for 4/28/23. He’s a good dog who deserves a great family. Get to know him a little better through this blog.

Being fostered through Harris County Animal Shelter (foster@countypets.com for more information, his ID is A605903).

Health

• Approx. 2 years old (although we suspect younger)
• Listed as a German Shepherd, but we believe him to be a Carolina Dog. (His spotted tongue may indicate some Chow?)
• 47 pounds
• UTD on all vaccinations
• Neutered May 16. Healed well — didn’t even need the cone of shame!
• Shelter reports a shoulder injury of undetermined origin. He does limp sometimes, but he’s still very active.

Disposition

• Very friendly. Follows you around. Likes to please and just be near you.
• House trained
• Very happy dog — lots of tail wagging and wanting to be around people
• Shelter reports he’s good with dogs and people. Unsure about cats/small children. Every dog we have passed on walks, he’s wanted to play with.
• On our walks, he’s been increasingly curious about people and dogs, showing no aggression. Definitely does want to chase birds and squirrels, if given an opportunity.
• Cautious around new people but warms up fast. Once he knows you, he’ll be by your side all the time.
• Knows “sit” but working on leash skills
• Few chewing issues. Shoes, furniture, and other items strewn about have generally been left alone, but as he has gotten more comfortable, he occasionally takes off with a shoe or pillow. He is curious about countertops and what’s on them but is quick to get down. Highly suggest some dog puzzles like the Kong wobbler to keep him busy.
• He does have the tendency to be like a toddler and get a little crazy when overtired. He naps well in his crate, and if he starts getting too mouthy or jumpy, we know it’s time to get him down for a nap.

Intelligence

• Winston is pretty dang smart. He figured out how to get the kibbles out of his kong wobbler almost immediately, and he has learned that the sound of our Ring doorbell motion means someone is at the front door.
• He knows his leash means something fun is about to happen, but he makes putting on his harness only slightly easy. 🙂

Winston’s Shopping List

Here are the top things we’ve found Winston has loved. These are Amazon affiliate links, and while we may receive a small portion of the purchase price, using these links doesn’t affect the price you pay. Plus: We’ll be donating any commissions back to local rescue organizations that can use our support!

• This Kong Wobble Toy to keep his curiosity focused.
• A harness to make walks easier and a dual-clasp connector to attach the harness to the collar
• Treat dispensing puzzle toy (We got this for our puppy fosters. It’s doing the trick now but we have a new one on order for bigger dogs. Can’t recommend this enough for puppies!)
• A Kong for when he goes in his crate
• A tug toy
• A Kong football
• Training treats to encourage good manners
• A double-handle leash to maintain better control when he sees a squirrel
• A 3-pack of Adopt Me bandanas and an Adopt Me leash wrap to get the word out

Day 17: 5/13/23

Let me say, Winston is probably the closest I’ve come to foster failing. While there are a few manners-type issues we are working through, he is just a great dog. It has been fun to see his personality come out and to see how much he enjoys the comforts of home — like sleeping on couches, going for long walks, and COOKED CHICKEN. Yum!

He really is a mighty good dog. He sleeps so well in his crate — I woke up at 5:45 this morning (Saturday) to wake up my son for work, then came back and laid on the couch. He had zero interest in getting up and went back to sleep in his crate. That’s my kind of dog!

It seems the more exercise he gets, the calmer he is overall. We have been going for about 3-4 25-minute walks a day, and that seems to help lower his excitability.

Day 13: 5/9/23

I know y’all might be wondering where the daily updates are. I had to leave town for a few days to pack up our daughter from college and get her all moved back. But never fear: My husband is in charge of Winston (or is it the other way around?). So I’ll be compiling a few days into one until I get back.

Winston has come so far since we first met him. When we brought him home, he wouldn’t come near my husband or me initially, and now he likes to be right near us. (He often sleeps under our kitchen table when I’m working there.

He does have energy to spare, and I’ve got this new Kong toy on order for him. He loves his regular Kongs — I fill them with peanut butter or a little cottage cheese, add some kibble, and then freeze it. This new Kong looks like a good way to slow feed him (although he is NOT a gulper) and keep him busy.

He loves his walks and being outside, so his ideal home would have a fenced yard where he could safely explore and owners who enjoy walks. He met our neighbor pups through our fence yesterday. B and X love to bark at Winston, and Winston just wants to play. Though they were separated by a fence, Winston’s tail was wagging and he seemed so happy to meet some new dog friends.

Day 10: 5/6/23

We had a big thunderstorm last night and SOMEONE slept right through it. He’s a deep sleeper for sure, although a crazy one. Here are just a few positions from the morning nap.

We’re learning he’s a little like a baby: When he gets super amped-up, it’s time for a nap. He sleeps well in his crate, so that’s where he goes.

He’s recovering well from the neuter — it’s not slowing his energy level down at all. And while we’re trying to respect his “take it easy” instructions, he’s a young guy with energy to burn.

Today, we’re working on “down” (lie down) and “off.” As his comfort level in the house has increased, his personality is also coming out and he’s testing the limits a little. Nothing destructive. He just needs to learn manners. Which he will.

Winston still needs a permanent home, though. Won’t you share his story with someone who might be looking for a BFF?

Day 9: 5/5/23

Winston may not be a huge fan of early mornings. He’s more of a sleeping-in-on-the-weekends dog. Still, he begrudgingly got out of bed and delivered kisses to everyone before having breakfast.

Even though he’s supposed to take it easy, he was ready and willing to take some walks down the street and greet the neighbors. He is not fazed in the least when walking next to the garbage truck OR when I was dragging our two trash bins behind me with him on the leash next to me.

When he gets a little too riled up during the day, a quick nap in the crate seems to reset him. He may howl and whine a little, but he settles down and goes belly up for a snooze. We are working on commands like “down” and “off” and practicing polite leash walking outside. He shows nothing but interest in other dogs and people.

Day 8: 5/4/23 – Neuter Day!

Today’s a big day for this big boy. We loaded him up in the car and my husband took him for his surgery. Once I hear back on how he did in the car, I’ll report back.

Fingers crossed for a smooth surgery and good pain meds for Winston!

Aaaand, he’s back. In great spirits. Haven’t even needed the cone of shame for him. He tried licking a few times but quickly stopped. He was good on the car ride there — he was free but confined to the back of the SUV. A little fidgety and whiny, I heard, but didn’t try to bust through.

They took some xrays of his leg/shoulder yesterday and they did confirm a break. It looks like an old one that went untreated and has been healing on its own. I’m not sure what the long-term implications of it will be (e.g., arthritis), but I tell you this: the way he walks, runs, and jumps — you’d never know (other than some occasional favoring of the leg) that anything was wrong.

He was a little restless sleeping last night, but went right in his crate and didn’t fuss.

Day 7: 5/3/23

Here’s Winston sitting pretty for a bit of chicken.

We started leash training today inside. It went pretty well. Eventually, we will translate that to outside, but baby steps.

He loves, loves, loves walks. He isn’t dog-reactive at all and has been friendly with everyone he sees along the way. He is super-interested in chasing squirrels, however. Walking with the harness has helped a lot, and taking a few longer walks during the day has helped wear him out.

Day 6: 5/2/23

I have no idea what this dog has been through in his short life, but I love that he has settled in so completely and contently.

While Winston has great bursts of energy, at his core, he is a lazy boy. Alarms were going off early this morning — around 6 a.m. — and Winston would’ve preferred to sleep a little longer. He quietly and calmly gets out of his crate, goes outside, has some breakfast, goes back outside, and then naps.

We went out for our first long walk with the harness. Met a neighbor outside and walked with her — Winston greeted her happily and then walked pretty calmly. We did encounter another dog on our walk, and it was clear Winston wanted to say hello and play. And then it became equally clear he wanted to chase a squirrel.

We did a little bit of leash training but mostly just got used to the harness on this first walk.

By the time we got home, it was most definitely naptime.

We really couldn’t ask for a better foster. He just wants to be by your side (or at your feet) and we’ve had zero issues with him. He’s doing great!

Day 5: 5/1/23

I mean, if this isn’t a look of contentment, I don’t know what is.

Winston has become a champion sleeper. Zonked out around 9 last night and sleepily was let out of his crate around 7.

He got another test of loud noises — including vacuums and lawn mowers — and had zero reaction. The house cleaners came today, and he is cautious of new people. But he did go up to them and sniff and lick their hands. After that, he most mostly uninterested. I put him in his crate so he didn’t get in their way, and he napped, belly up, for most of it.

We picked up a harness and will be trying that out as we work on leash skills.

Day 4: 4/30/23

Another slightly early morning, because he heard my husband move around. But a quick trip outside and then back in the crate, and Winston slept for another 3 hours. Good boy, Winston. Out of the crate, he just wants to greet everyone and follow you around.

We went for a nice walk this morning, and he had a great breakfast. He doesn’t wolf down his food and doesn’t appear to resource guard (although we haven’t challenged him on that just yet).

He loves his walks and gets so excited to see his leash. Leash training starts today, and we also hope to slowly introduce him to people and see how he reacts.

He naps well in his crate and also loose.

Current situation: He is napping at my feet while I bake brownies. If I look over at him, he wakes up, wags his tail, and rolls to his side for me to rub his belly.

Somehow, I’ve become his main person, and he follows me around. He’ll wait fairly patiently outside a door for me and definitely likes to be near people.

Day 3: 4/29/23

Another great day with Winston! He slept until 7 and was so excited to live life when he got out of his crate. He’s eating like a champ and doing all his business outside.

We headed off to Petco to get Winston some supplies (see links above).

We took him for a walk beyond the front yard, and he did as expected. He pulls a lot (and is strong) but considering he’s never been on a leash, he does fairly well. He does know Sit, but that seems to be the only command he knows … so far.

Back at home, he’s friendly and engaged and will follow you around. He enjoys napping on the tile floor.

Day 2: 4/28/23

Winston woke up a little on the early side (5 a.m.) so we did, too. After a good breakfast and a nice backyard walk, he zonked out for a few more hours.

He has adjusted remarkably well and is always happy to see us and follow us around.

We did crate him for several hours during the day while we went downtown. He cried for a bit but settled fast and slept almost the whole time. We did have a dog walker come to let him out and she said that he was super-sweet but probably younger than 2.

He was initially reluctant to let her put on his collar/leash and go outside with her (he runs to us already when he sees us with the leash) but she was eventually able to persuade him.

He does not seem to startle easily (he didn’t care at all when a thunderstorm rolled through and didn’t seem to be bothered by our loud blender or the vacuum).

He was initially confused by the presence of our son, who’s gone a lot at school or working, so Winston would do a low bark at him when my son appeared. But now that they’ve seen each other a few times, that has diminished significantly.

He’s been a great foster so far and is going to make an amazing family pet if someone is willing to take a chance on him. He shows no signs of aggression or fear.

Day 1: 4/27/23

I didn’t expect to find myself with another foster dog. I mean, I’d been talking a good game about fostering, but I didn’t really plan to take one in. We’re hoping to do some traveling later this summer, and fostering would make that hard.

But then my daughter started texting me about Winston, a 2-year-old German Shepherd (though we believe him to be a Carolina Dog) scheduled for euthanasia the next day through the Harris County Shelter. She’d seen him on TikTok and was adamant we save him.

So save him we did. My husband went down to “meet” him (do you ever really just go “meet” a dog at the shelter?) and got them to loan us a cage … and leash/collar … and food … and Winston.

They actually loaned us two cages, because his “real” cage” was too big to be set up in the car. So they gave him a smaller one to transport him home (he ended up looking a bit like those clown cars where you can’t believe everyone fit into that tiny space).

We was understandably a little nervous when he first arrived, but he settled in amazingly quickly.

In just a few hours, he loved putting on his leash and collar to go outside for walks. (He’s not the best leash walker yet, but we’re working on that.) He even started standing by the back door to go out. He showed no fear of our neighbor dogs that barked at him (the shelter reported that he is good with other dogs).

He does have a limp, and I’m going to be talking with the shelter Monday (5/1) to see if I can get his radiograph and have it looked at. They say he has an old shoulder injury, but I’m not sure they looked into it too much. He still wants to run and play, but we do notice the limp and occasional reluctance to put full pressure on the leg. Is that why he was on the euth list? Not sure.

He seems to be well house-trained. He does get a little rambunctious and tends to get a little mouthy, jumpy and humpy, but a quick “down” and us walking away to distract him will hopefully get him out of the habit soon.

Night 1 in the crate was virtually seamless. We have the crate out in the family room and he willingly went in at bedtime. He did cry a little bit, so I laid down on the nearby couch. He quickly settled down and slept all night.

Overall, he settled in very quickly and is an affectionate, friendly dog who wants to be by your side.